RuPaul's Drag Race star Kelly Mantle is making history as part of next year's Oscars race.

For her performance in indie comedy Confessions of a Womanizer, Mantle has been put up for nomination in both the actor and actress categories in a first for the Academy Awards.

While Kelly's submission doesn't guarantee an Academy Award nomination by any means, it's a ground-breaking step for the trans and gender-fluid communities.

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This accolade was made possible by a 2014 Academy rule change which allowed "a maximum of 10 actors and 10 actresses for each film" to be submitted for award consideration.

An Academy spokesperson confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that while technically production companies could submit any movie performance in either or both male and female categories, Confessions of a Womanizer is the first one to actually do it.

Still, Mantle would only be nominated in one of the two categories provided there are enough votes.

On Instagram, Kelly celebrated this momentous step forward by writing: "So this is happening... Honored & humbled to be considered."

Also celebrating this history-making Oscars submission was the movie's director Miguel Ali, who wrote on Facebook: "Of course I hope we get Kelly nominated. Regardless, we are bringing spotlight to our androgynous and transgendered community.

"I'm grateful for the path that has already been carved by transgender/androgynous-empowering Oscar-contending films like Tangerine and others."

Nominations for the 89th Academy Awards will be announced on Thursday, January 5, 2017, and the ceremony itself will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on February 26 from Los Angeles.

Mantle originally rose to fame in the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, and has acted in hit TV shows Curb Your Enthusiasm, Mike & Molly and Rizzoli & Isles.